Dissolution of Marriage

Dissolution of marriage is the Arizona legal term for divorce. A marriage can be dissolved by either party claiming that the marriage is irretrievably broken with no reasonable prospect of reconciliation. Arizona is a no-fault divorce state meaning that the reasons for the break-up of the relationship are not relevant to the court in relation to granting the divorce, though the reasons may be relevant to other issues like children or property division.

Divorce Attorneys in Phoenix

The dissolution (divorce) process begins by a party filing a Petition for Dissolution. There is a sixty (60) day “waiting period” once a case is filed. A divorce typically takes between eight (8) to twelve (12) months to complete, during which time issues related to division of assets and debts, financial support (both spousal maintenance (alimony) and child support), and child-related issues of legal decision-making (custody) and parenting time (visitation) are evaluated and negotiated.

Arizona is a community property state which means assets and debts acquired during the marriage (except for gifts and inheritance) are typically equally divided between the parties.

Parties are encouraged to attend mediation in an attempt to settle some, if not all issues, in the case without trial. Any issues that the parties are unable to resolve through mediation must then be presented in a trial to the assigned judge for final determination.